Tractor



APPLICA www@ A. B. COX.

TRACTOR.

TloN FILED 'MAY 24, w20.

Patente Nov. l5, 1921.,

I l i I I l I I I Hll I lll-M: m:

ABRHAM- B. COX, OF CHERRY VALLEY, NEW YRK.

TRACTGEI.

isernia.

' Application led May 24e,

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, ABRAHAM B. Cox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cherry Valley, Otsego county, New York,

have invented a new and useful lmprovement in rlractors, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description. u

My invention relates to improvements 1 n tractors, and the object of my invention is to produce a strong, simple,'mobile and reliable tractor, which can be run to advantage on rough and unneven ground, and which is capable of operating under relatively high speed. My invention is also intended to produce a tractor in which the track or tread -1s flexible and is connected with lthe track wheels in such a manner as to'be sure to retain its position, and in which the liability of the track leaving the wheels is reduced to a minimum. My inventionis also intended to produce a tractor in whichthemovable track is made up of comparatively narrow elements having an endless cable b elt as a carrier, so that the track will easily conform to the wheels and will run smoothly with comparativel little noise, and with little vibration. he invention is also intended to produce a tractor of this character in which the parts are not likely to -become clogged with dirt or mud, and in which special provision is provided for keeping them relatively clean.

' Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specii cation, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tractor element embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a broken detail perspective. showing the manner of securing the binding plates to the cables or carrier. l

Fig. 4 is a broken detail plan of a part of the cableI belt and one of the underlying plates, and l L Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken longitudinal section of a part of the track. ln the drawing I have shown a single tractor .element comprising spaced track wheels connected by a flexible track, but it will be understood that these elements can y be coupled up in pairs or more if desired. Each tractor is provided with a pair of wheels 10 spaced apart one lahead of the other and in alinement, these beingprovided with axles 11, and as lstated the' axles can speeiiieanfmy 'f Letters Patent.

Patented Nav. ia, iaei. i920. serial n. ecarte.

carry two or, more setslof wheels if desired. Eachr track wheel is provided with a cir cumferential groove 12 which is preferably at the center of the wheel, and serves as a guide for the track to be presently described, so that the track cannot leave the wheels unless it breaks. This groove can be produced .in any convenient way, but I` prefea to have 'it between resilient tire portions or members 13 which can be of solid rubber or composition, and this arrangement provides theresilient support for the track, and the latter will hug it closely. However, the invention is not confined to the resilient tread portion.

The track is provided with a series of cables 14 preferably of wire, and arranged closely together so as to form a strong flexible carrier for the track, and these cables or belts are preferably in sections 15 and 16 on opposite sides of the guiding element or. member 17. This element 17 is preferably in the form of a boss produced byl bending the inner binding plates 18, andthe cable belts are clamped by the inner binding plates 18, and the outer plates 19. The inner plates are preferably spaced apart slightly so that they will readily follow the contour of the track wheels, and both inner and outer plates are preferably, though not necessarily, grooved to receive the cables 14 so that the plates `can meet and hold the cables firmly between them. The plates can be fastened together in any convenient way, as by rivets 21 or the like, and the outer plates 19 can meet or substantially meet if desired. lt will be seen that the inner plates can be bent in the center lto produce the guiding element -17 which fits nicely in the groove 12 of the track wheels, and when thus formed, the track comprisingpthe cables 14 and the inner and outerbinding plates 18 and 19, is exceedingly strong and flexible, follows the track wheels closely, and cannot possibly leave them because of the guiding device hereinabove described.

rlFhe cables can be easily and securely-arslightly as lshown at 18a in Fig. 5, so that is not likely to be' interfered with in its op- I nonmetallic, the inner they will readily fouow the-@611mm of the Awheels without nipping the cables tool tightly at the edges. It will be understood, also, that in case the tread 13 of the wheels is arts of each tread portion can be armored w ere it contacts with the guiding members 17 as shown at 13a in y having the track formed of the meeting plates which inclosethe cables between them, I get a strong flexible compact track which eration by mud or dust, but as a further precaution against the accumulation of mud or other -.material on the track, I provide cleaning devices which lie longitudinally of the lower member of the track, in the form of shares or Scrapers which will 'throw loose* material from the track'to the sides thereof. This arrangement can be conveniently carried out by the arranging strips lor plates 24 at the sides of the lower track member and just 'above the upper surface of said member, the

plates having shares 25 which are bent inward over the track as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and are arranged at an-inclination so that any of the material which falls on the track will bevdeflected to one side by the shares. The plates 24 can be supported in any convenient way, as for instance on the axles 24a of the wheels 24 which are ar-V ranged t0 run on and brace thelower member of the track, while a similar wheel 22 can be arranged near the top member of the track to forma support therefor. A number of these wheels 22 can be provided but fthe arrangement of wheels 22 and 23 is not shown in detail, as this feature of the tractor -is not claimed as new.- The wheels can be.

su ported in any convenient way. v

rom the foregomg description it 'will be seen ,that I have devised a very simple,-

"with the cables and plates track wheels 10 can be vforced apart so that `powerful and' flexible tractor, Vadaptedl to run at relatlvely high speed on any surface where a tractor would be employed, which is not likely to get out of order, and which hasjthe special advantagethat the track cannot possibly leave-its track Wheels.

` 'It will be further noticed that by having the groove'dtrackwheels and the track ele. ment provided with guiding devices to enter the grooves, I can .leave/ the edges ofthe track plain so that they are not likely to the track can be made pretty stiff', and will therefore work to advantage; but with chain tracks this cannot be done because of the excessive friction ifthe chains are too taut.' I claim i A tractor having wheels spaced apart and provided with circumferential grooves near the center thereof, and a track comprising cables in close connection, and outer and inner plates fitting over the said cables and clamping them between them, the inner plates being formed with inturned bends which fit in the grooves of the wheels.

- ABRAHAM Bf COX. Witnesses:

WARREN B. HU'roHINsoN, M.' G. DONNELL. 

